Home rule is a hot topic in Tallahassee this legislative session, and last week Lakeland City Commissioners Don Selvage, Jim Malless and Bill Read went to the Capitol to register their complaints with a few bills that infringe on the city’s ability to self-govern. We have already criticized one of their targets: HB 17, introduced…
Orlando is seeking contractors to build single-family homes on public land in Parramore, a $1.8 million effort to add affordable housing to the long-blighted downtown neighborhood west of Interstate 4. The city plans to sell the homes to low-income families by offering interest-free loans for down payments that the buyers may never have to repay.…
While much attention is revolving around Imagine Clearwater, a planned redevelopment of the city’s downtown and waterfront, in recent months, a separate effort to rezone a major stretch of U.S. 19 is quietly moving forward. In fact, the same night (Feb. 2) the Clearwater City Council approved the Imagine Clearwater project, the U.S. 19 plan…
As Coconut Grove regains its appeal as a thriving commercial district, two of the neighborhood’s deepest-rooted developers are transforming a 1980s-era parking garage into a contemporary mixed-use building that will meet growing demand for office space and prime retail. Developed by Terra in partnership with Mayfair Real Estate Advisors, the Touzet Studio-designed complex — named…
Mayor Nick Girone said a request from a resident to consider holding certain council meetings throughout the year at venues other than city council chambers got him thinking that it wasn’t a bad idea. So when it came time for choosing a place for the city’s first ever State of the City address and Town…
City officials from across the state will gather next week in Tallahassee to discuss the latest issues and developments affecting municipalities and how they are being addressed in Tallahassee during the current legislative session. These issues are all part of the Florida League of Cities 2017 legislative agenda. With numerous bills filed this session that…
Since the Florida Legislature began its session, the city of St. Augustine has been watching. St. Augustine officials are pushing for infrastructure funding as well as tracking about 40 bills to see what might become law and impact life locally, including bills threatening community redevelopment agencies. The session kicked off on March 7, and St.…
A landmark is reduced to rubble. Chunks of cinder blocks lie on the ground like crumbs. All that remains of the iconic mural on what used to be The Shelter is a jagged brick wall. The streetscape at Macomb and Tennessee streets is forever changed. Demolition crews spent two weeks working and knocking down the last…
State legislation that could end new projects by Jacksonville’s Downtown Investment Authority – and hundreds of similar agencies statewide – alarms their supporters and sparks debate about Tallahassee’s control over redevelopment. Bills to phase out what the state calls “community redevelopment agencies” are filed in both chambers of Florida’s Legislature. The more sweeping of those…
After the Downtowner electric cart service left for Tampa, the city of Boca Raton has jump-started three proposed plans to move people around downtown without using their cars. One option is exploring if the city’s special events contract with Limousines of South Florida can be expanded to provide a circulator. “We have the option…to get…
City Hall will hold the first of three public meetings on the future of the TECO Line Streetcar tonight with an eye on expanding and improving the service. The streetcar should be used more than it is, Mayor Bob Buckhorn said in announcing the forum, so, “We are taking a hard look at its future.…
After previous estimations targeted the start of this month for when a defunct, multi-parcel property in downtown Pensacola could officially transfer ownership to a development group seeking to revitalize it, several more weeks must pass before the transaction can take place. The Escambia County School District’s former headquarters at 213 W. Garden St. still awaits remediation before the school district…
Davis Camalier has owned the land at the southeast corner of Boynton Beach Boulevard and Federal Highway for years, and is finally ready to build. He hopes to start with an eight-story apartment building and retail stores, and later add a hotel and condos. But some residents, a former city commissioner and another developer see…
Hours after officials cut the ribbon on Orlando City Soccer Club’s new stadium last week, business was steady at J. Henry’s Barber Shop across Church Street. Wearing an Orlando City cap and shirt as he worked, the shop’s namesake boasted of the construction workers he’s turned into regular customers. He’s hoping to find more clients among the game day crowds.…
Three companies submitted qualifications for planned downtown streetscaping improvements and all three will be invited to entertain questions on Tuesday morning from the Bradenton Downtown Development Authority’s selection committee. The committee met Thursday to outline goals of the project and how the process will move forward. DDA board member Mike Carter said there is no…
Downtown Bradenton’s riverfront is about to experience another surge of redevelopment. On Tuesday, the Bradenton City Council selected the construction firm NDC to construct a parking garage at what is now the parking lot behind City Hall at Third Avenue West and Main Street. The council also chose the architectural firm Fawley Bryant to design…
County officials are whittling down the list of possible areas to improve railroad crossings as train traffic is expected to rise with increased freight transportation and the addition of All Aboard Florida’s Brightline passenger trains next year. The Community Redevelopment Agency board on Monday prioritized improvements at crossings near schools, Golden Gate and downtown Stuart after hearing recommendations for…
As one of the few major cities in the region without city-funded ways to get around downtown, Boca Raton is one step closer to adding services to help residents get around without having to drive. Boca Raton’s Community Redevelopment Agency is scheduled on Monday to weigh proposals for alternative transportation in an effort to reduce downtown traffic. According to…
The cost of creating a “quiet zone” for train horns in downtown Tampa started at $2.7 million, but now has risen to more like $3.17 million. And City Hall is covering much of the difference. The City Council recently approved spending $320,000 more for the project. The money comes from downtown redevelopment funds, a slice…
Downtown’s 22-story One Enterprise Center is for sale. An offering flier circulated Friday says the 317,571-square-foot tower is 51.2 percent occupied. Built in the mid-1980s, the structure is on 1.15 acres at 225 Water St. John Bell, managing director of Transwestern in Miami, is marketing the property. “We are expecting strong turnout,” he said, citing…
Although the City Council formally approved the 10-year, potentially $55 million downtown waterfront revitalization plan this week, a centerpiece of the design will immediately be stalled in legislative red tape. The Imagine Clearwater plan calls for converting Coachman Park into a garden and relocating its concert band shell to a new 4-acre open green space,…